Data is incredibly important for any business. Data itself involves the raw facts and figures; it is when data comes together that it becomes so valuable. It can tell you the best day for releasing promotions, which marketing campaigns are the most effective, product sales trends across the seasons and information regarding falls in production. The more data you have, the more valuable it is, and it can prove to be your competitive edge and affect key business decisions.
Don’t Let Your Data Get into the Wrong Hands
The importance of data to a business means that if you lose it, or it gets stolen, it can cause serious problems. A competitor could discover key company secrets, your marketing strategies and detailed sales and product information, which could prove to be incredibly damaging.
When it comes to personal data, protecting it is a legal requirement under the Data Protection Act 1998. If you do not protect personal data, which could belong to staff as well as customers, you could face a huge fine from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (see full details of your obligations at this page on Gov.uk).
How to Protect Your Data
The threat posed by data theft is real, and now that many companies store their data as digital files, the risks are even greater. To avoid the risks, and to protect yourself from potential fines, the two key areas to consider include secure storage and secure destruction of data.
To store your data securely, you will need to speak to a security specialist as this is an area where you cannot afford to take risks – securing company data goes beyond simply having an effective password.
When it comes to the destruction of your files and documents, we can help you by providing a secure shredding service. This does not just cover paper documents, but also hard drives, and we make sure that they are destroyed in a way that means you will not have to worry about your data ever getting into the wrong hands.
Keep Your Data Safe
These days it is more important than ever to keep your data protected. Not only can data theft cause great damage to your business, but it can also lead to large fines if you lose sensitive personal data. As a result, it is always far better to have a system in place for storing and disposing of your data securely than to risk suffering a damaging data breach.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
